ÖRGÜT İÇİ GÜÇ İLİŞKİLERİ VE SOSYAL AĞLAR: GIDA SEKTÖRÜNDE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

INTRAORGANIZATIONAL POWER RELATIONS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS: A RESEARCH ON THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Özet

Kaynak bağımlılığı kuramı açık sistemler olan örgütlerin varlığını devam ettirmesinin anahtarı olan kaynakları nasıl elde ettiğini açıklamaya yönelik bir teoridir. Bu kuram, politik yapılar olarak ele aldıkları örgütleri, çevre ile olan ilişkileri ve kaynak edinimi sırasında ortaya çıkan bağımlılık ilişkilerinin yanı sıra örgütlerde bağımlılık durumunu ortaya çıkaran güç kavramını da temel almaktadır. Kaynak bağımlılığı kuramında güç kavramı hem örgütün iç süreçlerindeki ilişkilerde ve kararlarda hem de dış çevresindeki aktörlerle olan ilişkilerinde örgüt davranışlarının belirleyicisi olmaktadır. Örgütlerde karar alma süreçlerinin politik bir nitelik taşıdığı ve örgütlerin politik anlamda bir koalisyon olarak algılanabileceği düşüncesinden hareketle, bu çalışmada örgütlerin alt birimleri arasındaki güç ve bağımlılık ilişkileri incelenmiştir. Bu ilişkilerin incelenmesinde aktörler arasındaki ilişkilere ve bu ilişkilerin niteliklerine odaklanan sosyal ağ kuramından yararlanılmıştır. Örgütlerde alt birimler arasında güç ve bağımlılık ilişkilerinin sonucu ortaya çıkan sosyal ağlar merkezilik ve yapısal boşluklar kuramı çerçevesinde değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında ileri sürülen önermeler gıda sektöründe faaliyet gösteren bir holding üzerinde sınanmıştır. Örgütsel alt birimler arasında kaynak edinimi sırasında oluşan yüksek bağımlılığı ve güç dengesizliğini azaltmak amacıyla örgütsel alt birimler sosyal ağlarında merkezi konumda yer alma eğiliminde oldukları ve alt birimler arasında güç dengesizliği sonucunda ortaya çıkan yüksek bağımlılık ilişkilerini azaltmak amacıyla sosyal ağlarında aracılık ilişkilerini kullanma eğiliminde oldukları tespit edilmiştir.

Abstract

1. LITERATURE Resource dependence theory considers intra-organizational actors’ relationships in a social context and it emphasizes the political processes within the organization (Pfeffer, 1981). However, obvious and particular strategies cannot be developed in the theory of resource dependence, as in interorganizational relations in managing dependence relations within the organization. In this respect, the examination of the network embedded in the social structure is important for managing power and dependence relations in organizations. In the literature, which is also expressed in the theoretical section (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1974; Salancik and Pfeffer, 1974), it is expressed that the actors use social networks in the management of dependence relations in the power imbalance resulting from resource dependence among organizational units (Gargiulo and Ertuğ, 2014). Moving from these studies, the current study was motivated by the question: "Are the power and dependence relations between the subunits in organizations managed by social networks?". 1. 1. RESEARCH SUBJECT Resource dependence is a theory that explains how organizations that are open systems get resources that are the key to maintaining their existence (Pfeffer and Salancik, 1974; Salancik and Pfeffer, 1974). This theory is based on the organizations that are treated as political constructs, the relations with the environment, and the concept of power that reveals dependence relations in organizations as well as dependence relations that emerged during resource acquisition. The concept of power in the theory of resource dependence is the determinant of organizational behaviors both in the relations within the organizational processes and in the relations with the actors in the decisions and in the external environment. Taking into account that decision-making processes in organizations have a political character and that organizations can be perceived as a coalition in a political sense, this study examines the power and dependence relations among the sub-units of organizations. 1. 2. RESEARCH PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE The main assumptions of the resource dependence theory were considered in the study and power and dependence relations were evaluated within the framework of Pfeffer's (1981) view. This theory, which treats organizations as political constructs, suggests that sub-units controlling critical resources in organizations will gain power within the organization and that other sub-units will develop dependence relations with these sub-units. The qualities and characteristics of network relations emerging as a result of power and dependence relations among sub-units in organizations and social relations among sub-units which are subject to the social capital were evaluated within the frame of the theories of centrality and structural holes suggested by the social network theory. In order to be able to make these evaluations, the level of analysis has been determined as intraorganizational sub- units. 1. 3. CONTRIBUTION of the ARTICLE to the LITERATURE Despite an increased emphasis on resource dependence theory and social network theory in the academic literature, there have a limited understanding of the mechanisms that social networks among the sub-units of organizations (Brass, 1984; Brass and Burkhardt, 1993; Burkhardt and Brass, 1990; Fombrun, 1983; Krackhardt 1990; Tushman and Romanelli, 1983). Therefore, it is thought that addressing social networks among the sub-units of organizations within the internal power and dependence relations from the perspective of resource dependence theory will contribute to the related literature. 2. DESIGN AND METHOD The proposal put forward in the study was tested on a holding operating in the food sector and the area of Turkey's top 500 large enterprises. This holding has been chosen in the research design due to business groups that were described as " dominant economic actors" (Gökşen and Üsdiken, 2001: 326; Üsdiken, 2008: 9; Dirlik, 2014: 10) and these holdings are among Turkey's top 500 enterprises in the first rank. Within the scope of this holding, the power, dependency and social relationships among the sub-units of the holding were examined. In this context, the network relationships that emerged as a result of interdependence relations in